Container for termites



March 21, 1939. o, FALLS CONTAINER FOR TERMITES Fiied July 8, 1937 W; ma Q F 1 mm. F

w 6 r .0 k /1 0 m 6 g E WW w E a Q ,5 1,5 id 2 a] z z Patented Mar. 21,1939 2,1's 1,ssi

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Olive Falls, Chicago, Ill. Application July8, 1937, Serial No. 152,644

7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for housing termites underconditions favorable to their existence and such that their activitiesare readily visible.

One feature of this invention is that it enables a colony ofmoisture-requiring termites to be kept in favorable conditions, so thatthey will follow a normal course of life and work; another feature ofthis invention is that the activities of the termites are visible; yetanother feature is that it provides a termite colony particularlyadapted for display, teaching, or research purposes; other features andadvantages of this invention will be apparent from the followingspecification and the drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a device embodyingthis invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of thedevice of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view along the line3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a modified form of the invention particularlyadapted for research purposes; Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the deviceof Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View along the line 6-6 ofFig. 4.

While the existence and destructive nature of termites have long beenknown, particularly in tropical regions, the termites have always workedand lived inside of cellulosic material, preferably wood, and thus ithas been well nigh impossible to study their activities and theconditions favorable or unfavorable to their existence.

The present invention provides a device adapted to house termites and soarranged that moisture-requiring termites, of their own preference,carry on their activities immediately adjacent a transparent wall, sothat their life and activities may be studied.

Devices constructed in accordance with the present invention and housingcolonies of termites have been used for research purposes, both to studythe life of the termites and make movies thereof and to determine whatsort of treatments will render cellulosic material termiteproof; thedevices have also been used for display purposes, merely to attractattention at fairs and the like or to develop consciousness of thenecessity of termite protection in certain localities; and the deviceshave also been used for teaching purposes.

Termites have been found not to have any particular dislike to light, aswas once thought. 0n the other hand, it appears that the moisturecontent or humidity is the important factor in the existence of thesubterranean and damp wood groups. Thus, if cellulosic material, such aswood, is arranged adjacent a wall of transparent material, such asglass, termites of these two groups can be caused to work on the face ofthe wood adjacent the glass if the humidity conditions there can be keptwithin the proper range, and the conditions in the rest of the wood kepttoo dry, for example, for these termites. The word' termite, ashereafter used, is intended to describeonly the subterranean anddampwood groups, and to exclude the drywood group, of which only a verysmall percentage are present in the United States.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith inFigs. 1 to 3, a substantially cylindrical container II] is illustratedhaving walls II of glass or some other glassy material. Glassy, as used,is intended to describe material which is not necessarily glass-like innature, but rather any transparent non-cellulosic material whichisimpervious to, and unaffected by, moisture, other examples of suchmaterial being quartz, mica, and transparent plastics. The container isthreaded at the top and provided with a closure here shown as a metalcap l2 having openings I3 therethrough for ventilation.

The container has therewithin a thin annular sheet or wall of cellulosicmaterial, here shown as comprising segments I4 of wood. These segmentsare preferably not over one-quarter inch in thickness, and are severaltimes longer than their width. They are preferably cut so that theiredges are substantially radial, and they are fitted tightly into theircontainer so that originally, at least, they are in contact with theglassy wall II on the inner side thereof. The wall of cellulosicmaterial may be readily assembled by cutting the segments to fit, andthen swelling them after they are placed in the container by the effectof water. They should be in close enough relation to the glassy wall sothat they are practically sealed thereagainst, that is, there should beno chance for any circulation of air between the wall of cellulosic andthat of glassy material. As may be particularly seen from Fig. 1, one ofthe segments I4 is preferably shorter than the others, so that a socketor recess is formed adapted to receive a wad of absorbent material l5,here shown as cotton. While wood and other materials are absorbent to acertain extent, the absorbent materials contemplated for use in thecontainer, such as the wad of cotton l5, are materials which Bil pick upseveral times their own weight in water relatively fast.

After the container has been assembled as described termites areintroduced thereto by merely dropping them to the bottom of thecontainer in the center. They will at once burrow into the wood orcellulosic wall l4, and, because the surface adjacent the glassy wall ismore moist than the inner surface of the cellulosic material, exposed tothe circulation of air in the center of the container, the termites willcut channels and work in the cellulosic wall immediately under theglassy wall, as illustrated.

At frequent intervals, about twice a week or every third day, water mustbe added to the absorbent material IS in order to maintain the propermoist condition within the container. This condition must not be toodry; nor must it be-too wet, since too much moisture facilitates thegrowth of fungus ormites, detrimental to the termites. The amount ofwater added depends, of course, on the size of the container. Acontainer of the character illustrated and of a size from about 2 oz. to4 oz. should have a A; teaspoonful of water added twice a week; a largerjar such as a pint, should have about a teaspoonful added twice a week;and a gallon container should have added thereto a tablespoonful, or alittle more, of water. In this regard, it is preferable in the largercontainers to have more than one piece of absorbent material. Ingeneral, it may be said that about every third day an amount of watershould be added which is the equivalent of about 10% to 20% of theweight of the cellulosic material in the container.

In the particular embodiment of this invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to6, a plurality of identical segments is shown, here being illustrated assix in number. Each of these segments comprises a fiat sheet ofcellulosic material 20, preferably about one-eighth of an inch inthickness. On each side of the sheet and against the surfaces thereofare disposed flat walls of glassy material, here indicated as 2| and 22.The sheet of cellulosic material is not as high as the glassy wall, androom is provided thereabove for a wad of absorbent material 23, such ascotton. Small channel members, such as 24 and 25, serve to hold theglassy material and cellulosic material in the desired position, theseelements being here illustrated as tin or the like. It will be notedthat the segments are all supported in a box or base 26 of tin or likemetal, and supporting members it! are provided adjacent certain channelmembers. In order to permit the termites to pass from one segment toanother the glassy walls are preferably held slightly above the bottomof the container 26, as by the humped up portion 28.

This embodiment of the invention is particularly adapted for researchwork, since diiferent conditions can be simultaneously created in thevarious segments; that is, different pieces of wood can be used in eachsegment, the same wood used with difierent termite-proofing treatments,various conditions of moisture may be tried, and the like.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes,therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in theappended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all noveltyinherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the priorart.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a wall of glassymaterial; a wall of cellulosic material adjacent said glassy wall andhaving one surface of said cellulosic wall in contact throughout itsentire area with the wall of glassy material: and means for keeping saidcellulosic material moist.

2. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a wall of glassymaterial; a wall of cellulosic material having one surface thereof,throughout its entire area, adjacent said glassy wall and sealedthereagainst; and means for keeping said cellulosic material moist, saidmeans comprising absorbent material adjacent thereto.

3. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a wall of glassymaterial; a wall of cellulosic material against said glassy wall andsealed thereagainst over a large area, said cellulosic wall being lessthan onequarter of an inch thick; and means for keeping said cellulosicmaterial moist.

4. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a container having awall of glassy material; a thin wall of cellulosic material adjacentsaid glassy wall and having one side sealed thereagainst, the other sidebeing exposed to the air; and means for keeping said cellulosic materialmoist.

5. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a substantiallycylindrical container of glassy material; a thin annular wall ofcellulosic material therein having the outer side adjacent said glassymaterial and sealed thereagainst, the inner side being exposed to theair; and means for keeping said cellulosic material moist.

6. Apparatus of the character described for housing termites underconditions inducing visible activities, including: a compartmentcomprising a thin sheet of cellulosic material, a pair of flat walls ofglassy material, means for maintaining said Walls in contact with saidsheet on each side thereof over a large area and sealed thereagainst,and absorbent material adapted to keep said cellulosic material moist.

7. The method of keeping a small, substantially closed portablecontainer having cellulosic and absorbent material therein in acondition favorable for termite life, comprising adding water to saidabsorbent materialat a rate equivalent to the addition every third dayof water having a weight of about 10 to 20% of the Weight of saidcellulosic material. 1

OLIVE FALLS.

